Louisa , an eighteen year old has a picture of a famous painting done by a renowned artist. A visit to the art auction to see the painting puts her on a path to learn more about the famed artist. Louisa connects with Ted , a former teacher and friend of the artist. The two embark on a trip together. Asthey travel by train Ted tells Louisa about his childhood, his friends, and how the famous painting came to be. The story moves between the past and the present, with Ted as the narrator. This is an interesting story about growing up, friendship, and art . And how the events in in our lives impact our futures.

The characters are interesting and come to, life on the pages of the book. This is another compelling book by This author.

A novel about the importance of friends in a young person's life, My Friends combines friendship, poverty-stricken backgrounds, and art in a way that brings hope to the reader. As a big fan of Backman, I was super grateful for this ARC from Netgalley. While bringing all his usual hope to hard situations, this book also brought a bit of preachiness about the right type of person to be and how to live. A bit too much telling over showing.

Overall, a lovely, cozy, book about the power of art and friendship with Backman's signature twists and turns.

Louisa is about to turn 18 and age out of the foster system when she accidentally meets the famous artist she has always admired. So begins her coming of age story, embarking on a journey with the artist's friend, learning of his found family, his friends' loves and losses, allowing her to see herself reflected in their story.

Backman has a gift. The gift is writing stories that aren't directly about me but I feel so deep in my soul that it's scary I have never told him these things he got so right. He has this way of using metaphors to convey a deeper idea that leave you thinking for a long long time. Thank you Fredrik.

Thank you thank you thank you to NetGalley for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

My Friends is a beautiful novel chronicling not only the childhood of Ted and his best friends, but how their stories are impacting Louisa, even 25 years later. Told in a back-and-forth style, Backman’s classic (and spectacular) writing style is prevalent, containing scenes that are laugh-out-loud comedic and others that will tear your heart out. My Friends is a love letter to art, friendship, and growing up.

Firstly, I want to say that I am overflowing with gratitude for having received access to this ARC. Fredrik Backman is my favorite author, hands down, and I am so appreciative of NetGalley and Atria Books for providing an early copy.

Secondly, My Friends exceeded my expectations, and I wasn’t even aware that was possible with a Backman book. So many quotes in here were so prevalent to my life that I often found myself having to take a moment to collect myself. The characters were so endearing, and their stories were interesting and heartbreaking. I will forever be in awe of Backman’s ability to bring his characters to life and make the reader feel like they are actual real people. Again, I am so grateful to have received an early copy, but now I’m so sad that it’s over.

5/5 stars

Nostalgia is a powerful thing. Backman is a master at writing about grief, friendship, parenthood, childhood and love. Not just romantic love but all of the complicated loves. He's also a master at writing about juxtaposition. Of how it's such an invincible feeling to be a teen, but also the most vulnerable, and unstable time in your life.

Louisa, on the eve of adulthood breaks into an art auction to look at her favorite painting up close. She's been obsessed with a postcard of the painting for most of her turbulent life. Louisa bounced from foster home to foster home until she found her bestie, nicknamed Fish. Every time she looks at the picture on the postcard, she sees the peaceful summer portrait of kids in the sea. To get herself through some hard times, she thinks about who the kids are in the portrait, dreaming of a reality where she finds them and they teach her how to swim.

Without major spoilers, Louisa finds someone tied to the painting and gets to hear about the origin of the artist and painting. As usual, Backmans storytelling is a gut wrenching story of friendship, and coming of age. Backman doesn't back down for how he writes about parenthood. It's hard being a parent and he really knows how to cut you with words. But he also doesn't shy away from writing about those tough years of adolescence. How you find your friends and how much of their lives really shape yours. He's such a master at keeping you hooked into the story.

This is for you if you love character driven stories, found family, chaotic storytelling and melancholy. The prose is beautiful, the story is gut wrenching... But! Check the trigger warnings before picking this up because the kids in this book really go through the wringer of physical and mental abuse.

I'm going to be honest, none of Backmans other books have hit me like Beartown. But this is close. Swipe for my favorite quotes. There are more, but I'm trying to keep this a non spoiler review.

Expected release date: May 20, 2025
Rating: 4.25⭐

Thank you to #netgalley for this beautiful ARC.

The master of storytelling is back with another funny-tearjerker of a story. If you have read anything from the author in the past, you know to expect a good time and he doesn't disappoint. The language is beautiful as always and every bit is meant to be savored than rushed through. This one will stay with you a while.

feel like any book fredrik backman writes will be a hit for me. The way he captures the beauty and intricacies of the human condition with such an effortless yet humorous way will forever amaze me. My Friends was easily my most anticipated release for this year and i truly loved every second of this book. You can’t help but get emotionally attached to these characters from the very start. to simply put it: each character stole my heart. The themes of addiction, mental health, art, and friends that are your soul mates was written with such a raw tenderness that made these characters feel so real. This needs to be on everyone’s TBR!

thank you Atria Books for the ARC through netgalley in exchange for my honest review <3

Fredrik Backman is the king of emotional storytelling, and his reign extends to My Friends! His prose always strikes a perfect balance between humour and heartbreak, making me laugh out loud and weep in a single chapter. What I love about Fredrik Backman is that he tells the reader outright that tragedy lies ahead. He then weaves the story and pulled me into the characters' lives in a way that stuck with me for days after I finished the book.

When I explain Beartown to people, I say it's about hockey, but it's more than just hockey. Backman's latest book is about art, but it's more than just art. My Friends tells the story of a piece of artwork that depicts a group of teenage friends. This art - and the teenagers' legacies - eventually come to impact a young girl.

The story dives into themes of friendship, resilience, and the bonds that hold people together even in the face of trauma. While it reminded me somewhat of A Little Life with its exploration of lifelong friendships shaped by tragedy, My Friends didn’t have the oppressive weight of “misery literature” that I found with A Little Life.

The dialogue, often laced with wit and tenderness, underscored the deep connections between them. I was so invested in the adolescents' friendships with each other and their commitment to loving and protecting each other.

For anyone already in love with Backman's books, you'll be sure to love this one too. If you haven't already read Backman, be sure to give this one a try!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This is probably my favorite book that I've read in the past couple of years. And that's saying a lot because I read around 75 books a year. It was absolutely terrific. In fact, I usually fly through books - but I actually took my time reading this slowly because I really loved all of the characters and didn't want it to end. The way that Backman writes is so poetic and beautiful. If you read one book this year, make it this one! It's truly a gem.

Gosh, I love Fredrik Backman. I didn’t think I could love his books more, but here we are. I’ve lost count of how many times I both laughed and cried while reading this. It’s such a beautiful, meaningful story of friendship and true love and all the small things along the way. I’m sure that this is going to be made into a movie, it’s that good. I can’t wait to read it in Swedish as well!

just finished My Friends by Fredrik Backman, and wow - this book is absolutely phenomenal! Backman has done it again, delivering a story that is simultaneously heartbreaking and hilarious. His unique storytelling style shines through, weaving complex emotions into seemingly simple prose.

The novel feels like a masterpiece of humanity, exploring friendship, art, and life’s fleeting moments with incredible depth. What struck me most was how Backman captures profound truths through unexpected humor and tender observations. His ability to shift between lighthearted banter and gut-wrenching revelations is nothing short of magical.

The characters are beautifully crafted - imperfect, messy, but incredibly real. Each page feels like uncovering a new layer of human complexity. Backman’s signature approach of finding warmth in overlooked individuals is perfectly executed here.

I found myself laughing and crying, sometimes in the same paragraph. The novel’s exploration of art, friendship, and healing left an indelible mark on my heart. Absolutely a five-star read and another remarkable win for Backman!

Thank you #netgalley!!!

Louisa is an artist. She's also just aged out of a foster care system. And she has just lost her best friend. Louisa carries around a postcard of a famous painting, pretending it is from the mother who abandoned her. When she hears the painting will be on display, she treks to the museum to see it in person. Her intents were mistaken and she was chased out by authorities who thought she was intent on vandalism. Running into a man in the alley (literally), she assumed he was homeless and struck up a conversation with him.

They spoke about the painting and how much it meant to her. To her astonishment, the man was the artist. The very artist who painted the famous work of art she so loved. The painting was of a group of teenagers sitting on a pier. The artist told her they had been his friends. It was his first painting and he had come to the gallery himself because he was quite ill and wanted to see it again. Louisa was determined to learn about the people in the picture. Much to her surprise, when the artist passes away shortly after their meeting, he leaves the painting to her. The artist's best friend Teddy takes her along on a cross-country train journey and tells her about the painting along the way. As they head to the artist's hometown, they have more adventures than expected and Louisa questions Teddy relentlessly for the details of the friends' lives. She shares details of her own loss.

Each of Backman's books is unique. This book is difficult to put down before the finish. And then you will want to go back and reread some of the phrases and language sure to resonate with every reader. My Friends is a must-read.

This story, these characters, my heart.

Fredrik Backman has done it again, ripped my heart out of my chest and at the same time filled my eyes with tears of happiness. This story is incredibly beautiful and is now one of my favorites.

Will post quotes once the book has been published, available June 2025 🥹 read this book!!!

Fredrick Backman is just a true genius. That's the review. Once again, I am knocked sideways by his gift. The characterization on this story, like all his stories, is exquisite and unmatched. The storytelling is delightful and funny and sad and deep and searing. I read it in three sittings and all I want to do now is go back and read it again. Oh, and I also reallllly want to see the painting. Highly recommended for all high school through adult collections. Simply stunningly beautiful.

This book will stay with me for a long time. I loved the characters and was attached to them right away. I love the way that the story weaves through time and seamlessly connects the story. This is beautifully written, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since I finished it.

If there's anything I know about Fredrik Backman books, I know that by the end, the emotions of fictional characters will become my own.

I know that they will make my heart swell with the immensity of empathy and authenticity contained within their pages, the way he so accurately solidifies feelings into words.

I know that they will make me laugh out loud, both because of the way he pokes fun at the sheer idiocy of human beings, and also the way dry humor comes across sharply and unexpectedly.

My Friends did all that and more. And because of that, I could forgive it for its long, rambling lack of plot and excessive usage of tragic backstories.

This book is, at its core, almost a character study. It's about an orphaned, socially anxious artist grieving the loss of her best friend, who by sheer coincidence ends up with an art piece that's always resonated with her more than she can describe. She ends up on a train with one of the figures in the painting—a man grieving a loss of his own—and through their prolonged train ride (and resulting inevitable shenanigans) ends up hearing the story behind the painting. A tale of four friends who fought for each others' happy endings, even amidst troubled home lives. Friends who saw the good in each other before they saw the good in themselves.

And as expected, there are so many insights sprinkled in about the value of art, artistic struggles, and the intersections between art and community. There's almost this subtle sense that this book takes the perspective of an older, experienced artist passing the baton to younger talents who doubt themselves and their craft.

I stepped away from this book wanting to create something. And it takes a lot to do that, to write stories that impact readers beyond the final page.

So if you're an artist: this book is for you.

(I received an advance readers copy from Netgalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Typically, I don’t highlight favorite quotes in a book, but in this instance, it would be quite the challenge. Almost every page would be marked. Backman has captured such genuine emotions with perfectly accurate descriptions. Throughout this book, I experienced love, heartbreak, and anxiety. It brought back memories of my youth and reflected on the years I've lived. Backman never disappoints but I think this may be his best book yet.

This might be my favorite book Fredrik Backman has ever written. It had everything that I love in a good book: happiness, sadness, mystery, humor, and life lessons. I will definitely be telling all of my fellow book nerds to read this when it comes out!

3.5 stars.
I loved parts of this book so much, and other parts fell very flat for me.
I had a hard time connecting with the two main characters, the constant story telling, and the many jokes that felt immature and just…bizarre?
I did LOVE the setting and the side characters. There were parts of this novel that made me emotional, but I couldn’t get over the moments that were so flat and rambling or overly emotional and saccharine.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for an early copy!